Team Titleist caught up with Harris English after his playoff victory at the Sentry Tournament of Champions where the former Georgia Bulldog secured his third title on the PGA TOUR, and lead the way to a 1-2-3-4 finish for Titleist golf ball players.
Looking back at his win in Kapalua, it’s easy to assume that the defining shot of English’s third-career victory was his second shot on the 72nd hole – a 3-iron from 273 yards that landed 10 feet from the flagstick at Kapalua’s downhill 18th and ultimately forced the playoff. But according to English, he had one better:
“Obviously, that [3 wood] was probably the most crucial because kind of my back was up against the wall. I had to make birdie there to get in the playoffs and I knew what I had to do. But, really some key shots leading up to that moment came when I got on a really good birdie run on 11, 12, 13, and the shot I hit on the 13 was probably the best of the day. I think I had probably 140 yards to the flag. The wind was pumping in my face and I just said, ‘I'll knocked down the eight iron and let the winds hit it’. And I hit it to probably two feet or three feet. I just have a lot of trust in the golf ball that it was going to do what I wanted to do.”
“And, I hit the shot exactly what I wanted to do and trajectory was awesome. Came out low. Didn't balloon in the wind. And, I mean, that was probably one of the hardest holes in the back nine. And for me making birdie there, hitting it at two or three feet and have a tap-in birdie. I mean, that was huge. And, that kept my momentum going to then put me in the position to try to make eagle on the last hole to win the tournament.”
Total Trust
“I have total trust in the golf ball that I'm playing. With the Pro V1, I mean, I've practiced with it every day. I have Pro V1's back home at Sea Island that I hit balls with, that I chip and putt with. I mean, that I have 100% confidence in the ball that I know it's all on me — I have to execute. In those key moments coming down the stretch on the back nine, trying to win a tournament, I have total trust, total confidence in my golf ball to where it’s not even on my mind if the golf ball is going to perform. I know if I do my part, if I execute, if I see the shot and can hit the shot, I know the ball is going to perform just how I think it should. The ball is going to perform how I think it should and be super consistent. And, that's what I think Titleist and the Pro V1 in general is best at is consistency. I mean, I never have to think about the ball not performing. I know the ball is going to do its job every time. I just have to execute on my part and everything else will work out."
“I mark it with a red Sharpie, obviously Georgia Bulldog red. But in the past, probably, I don't know, three, four years pretty consistently, I put a line under the Titleist and then I make a T. So, I put a line under the Titleist and then go vertically down kind of through the number so it makes a red T on it and I aim with that. I like the perpendicular line, and I don't necessarily try to aim the ball exactly perfect every single time. I just make it in general, say a right edge putt. It just kind of gives me a general sense of where I'm aiming and it helps me out. I pretty much do it on every single putt.”
How did you find the Pro V1 was best for your game?
“I like taking the golf ball and starting [the fitting process] really from the putting green backwards. I know a lot of people said it, and Tiger does that. But, it has to feel good around the greens because that's really where you're going to be hitting it the most. I mean, the sound coming off the putter, the feel coming off the putter, how the cover feels on chipping. Also, sound and feel go hand-in-hand for me. And if it doesn't sound good, if it doesn't feel good on the putting and chipping, then I then can't take it to start hitting irons or drivers with it. I mean, that's the first key for me is it has to feel good before then I can start dialing it in with wedges and irons and driver with the spin and trajectory. But moving, it feels unbelievable around the greens.”
“I feel like I can hit the spinny chip, the one hop and stop grab, and then I can take a pitching wedge and bump and run. I feel like I can hit every shot around the green that is called for out on the PGA Tour, and I liked the trajectory of it coming out lower. I know the Pro V1 does that more than the Pro V1x. Lower and more spin for me is always good because I'm not looking to really spin it low off the tee. I'm not looking to gain 15 or 20 yards. I'd rather have the feel around the greens. And with my wedges and irons, I'd rather have that and give up maybe some spin off the tee then I would have that low spin off the driver and be able to gain a couple more yards.”
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